Obama Tells Democratic Donors He’ll Keep Reaching Out to G.O.P.

DALLAS â€" President Obama vowed Wednesday night to continue trying to work with Republican lawmakers even if doing so irritates some of his Democratic supporters who think he is “a sap.”

Straddling the line between governance and politics, Mr. Obama told wealthy contributors at a Democratic fund-raiser here that their party was not the only one that cared about the troubles of the country, and he renewed his commitment to bipartisanship despite the divisions in Washington.

“Occasionally I may make some of you angry because I’m going to reach out to Republicans, and I’m going to keep on doing it,” he said. “Even if some of you think I’m a sap, I’m going to keep on doing it because that’s what I think the country needs.”

He went on to say he still would prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, because when his party can set the agenda, “we don’t have a country where just a few are doing really well.”

The fund-raiser was held the night before the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum here, which Mr. Obama will attend. In keeping with the spirit of that event, he offered praise for Mr. Bush to an audience of Texas Democrats who have long opposed him. “Whatever our political differences, President Bush loves this country and loves its people and shares that same concern,” he said.

About 60 donors paid between $10,000 and $32,400 to attend the dinner at the home of Naomi Aberly, a Democratic bundler, and her husband, Laurence Lebowitz, a hedge fund investor. The 12,000-square-foot home, which resembles a concert hall, was valued at $10.9 million and ranked as the 41st most expensive in the Dallas area by the local D Magazine. It is about a mile from Mr. Bush’s home.

In his talk, Mr. Obama expressed sorrow about the terrorist attack in Boston and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Tex., but said both had shown the character of the country.

He expressed pride in his record but said he had more that he wanted to accomplish. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “Unfortunately, right now Washington is not - how do I put this charitably? It’s not as functional as it should be. It could do better.”